147 Million Orphans Blog

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Life at home with my kiddos this summer has been HARD. DEFEATING, EXHAUSTING, and just downright DIFFICULT. My kids have fought more than ever before. I have been waking up each morning and JUST SURVIVING. Because I have been so focused on just making it through each day, I haven't stopped to think and RECOGNIZE what is really going on. It has been warfare at it's finest. God is doing AMAZING things in Haiti and I leave tomorrow for Uganda. I KNOW this is satan trying to defeat me, but BOY, I am sick of it.
My 16 year old, Grace, is in Uganda right now with a group from school. I am going to meet her at the end of her trip and we will stay for another nine days in Jinja with Katie. The group that is going with me is a group of moms and daughters. God solely orchestrated this group (because it is somewhat random) and I know HE is going lead it. My sister, Susan, (Landon's mom) has never been to Africa. I am taking her and my niece, Abbie ( who belongs to my other sister, Dana). Landon is going to leave the place where he is serving for the summer meet us over there....can't wait to see his sweet face:) Abbie, has a HUGE heart for people. She is one of the most solid 16 year olds I have EVER met. I cannot wait to watch how God is going to open her heart to what HE has for her life. She has walked through all of our adoption journeys alongside Grace (they are 5 months apart) and so she TOTALLY gets the orphan crisis. There are two more moms and their daughters (Renee and Amy Manuel and Julie and Abby Cook) And sweet Kate Farley, who shares a heart with Grace for Africa will be with us. Her mom was planning to come with us, but has to stay home due to family conflicts:( I know the Lord has a SPECIAL trip planned and hearts are going to be MOVED in a mighty way. I am excited to see Anna Bliss and Katie. I can't wait to kiss on all of Katie's girls faces...walk the red dirt roads, and feel HIS presence. Please be praying for our trip..for safety/my SUPERSTAR hubby that will be here with my kiddos:) Anna Mitchell and Stephanie Todd..my rockstar babysitters!

Matthew 17:20He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as amustardseed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

I am not sure why I have to be reminded OVER and OVER again of this truth. I am clinging to this verse. a mustard seed is LITERALLY as small as the head of a stick pin. THAT MUCH FAITH...that is ALL that I have to hold in my heart for the rest of the summer. HE will do the rest.

This is our team: Gwen and I could NOT do what we do if it wasn't for these extra three ladies! Jan Eberle, Michelle Smalling, and Katy Southern.

Megan leading us to the top of the mountain where her schools are (and future church and medical clinic will be.)

This awesome people are the artisans that make the jewelry that we sell on our website (147millionorphans.com) Sophie (bottom right) is a young gal that has taken these guys in and taught them a trade so that now they can feed their families. AWESOME

At school each day, Megan's students receive breakfast. God has given her a group of Haitian women to make this happen..feeding 400 students is NOT a small feat!!

This is the kindergarten class....

this is one of the teachers bathing her child during class:) She is afraid to leave her baby with anyone because of child sacrificing...SO, she brings her baby to class with her each day.

this is the breathtaking view from the top of the mountain. This mountain has been used for voodoo for many many years, and Megan has bought it and claimed it for Christ. Her prayer is that HIS presence will start here and spread through her country.

The secondary school building is almost finished! all of these hatian men had a smile on their face. it is amazing how work gives people value and meaning in their life.

This lady showed up on Megan's porch with her sick baby:( I felt like I was reliving being in Uganda with Katie.

One evening we walked up to the mountain to sing praise and worship. I must admit I was a little scared. megan assured me that we were safe because she knows every person between her house and the top...actually she sends all of their children to school:) SO I went with it! when we got to the top there was a solid white horse grazing!! CRAZY!! i felt like that was God's way of whispering to me that HE WAS there with me...made my heart feel full.

SO, this is RESPIRE HAITI. Megan Boudreaux began this ministry a little over a year ago. She is a ROCK.STAR. She walks by BLIND faith daily and then sits back and watches God "do HIS thing!" She has a feeding program, a school, and is praying for funds to build a church, cafe, recycling business, and who else knows what God will place on her heart! It is SO AWESOME to watch how the Lord has provided every step of the way for her to do HIS work.

Gwen and I and 147 MILLION ORPHANS FOUNDATION have committed to help build the medical clinic! You will be hearing more about this..I can't wait to watch HIM provide for it!

mike and i had the privilege of going to Karen Kingsbury's ( christian author) daughters wedding last week...this is the reception...truly like a movie!!
it was AWESOME!!!!
(I won't even mention the Ivy cake cupcake buffet, the Coldstone Creamery buffet, the Coffee bar...and the yummy sit down dinner!!)

you'll be glad to hear that we took your funds to Haiti and fed MANY children!! Our hope was to raise $1000.00 for the week and through Facebook, we brought in $2500.00 for the children in Haiti!! It has taken me several days to process all that we experienced. My heart really hasnt recoverd yet.

We went to two different places, this blog post is about the first stop and the next blog post will be about our last stop.

These pics are from "My Life Speaks" (mylifespeaks.org). They have a feeding program in Nepley. They feed hundreds of children, and also have a feeding program for infants. One of the problems that women face is their milk drying up while trying to feed their babies. My Life Speaks provides formula and medical care for the babies in their village. Right now Haiti is HOT. SO MANY of the children were covered in heat rashes and were sick. About 3/4 of the babies that they weighed and assessed were sent to the medical clinic down the road...it was so sad, yet gave so much hope knowing that they will get the care that is needed for them to thrive because of My Life Speaks:)

I was especially impressed with the food that they served. They had rice, beans, and a vegetable mixture that was DELICIOUS! I could have eaten several bowls myself:)

This picture is about 1/3 of the amount of children that we fed....they kept coming and coming!

We rode through the most poverty stricken village in Nepley. The road was a dead end into the Caribbean where we found all of these little munchkins! they kept reaching for my bottle of water...i just couldn't help but share!

This is one of our favorite little peeps at My Life Speaks...she is FULL of love...brings a smile to my face just thinking about it.

One of our hopes with 147 Million Orphans is to provide a new kitchen for them. THIS is the kitchen that they are using to feed hundreds of children..it is long and narrow, DARK, and has no ventilation. They need a BIG freezer and refrigerator that runs on a generator. the electricity turns off CONSTANTLY.

Last month, 147 MILLION ORPHANS bought a motor cycle for My Life Speaks. they were in need of transportation other than their bus that they use to get to and from the airport. It was AWESOME to see it in person and know that we are helping in a small way.

My Life Speaks is in the beginning stages of opening a "special needs" children's home. They already have three children that they are caring for. Their plans are BIG and so is the need. I left with a REALLY heavy heart in regards to what is ahead of this family. It wasn't until our last night in Haiti that I was sitting on a mountain during praise and worship (more in next post) that I was able to think about the twinkling stars, He created. the ocean waves blowing in, He created. the mountaintops, He created. I was actually looking at the same stars that my family can see in the US, my brother sees in Montana, and that Katie, Anna Bliss, and Landon can see in Uganda. W.O.W. HE is so much more than i can fathom. It was THEN, that I realized that HE has the "special needs" kiddos and My Life Speaks in the palm of HIS hand:)

I feel like I am constantly being reminded of John 3:18. "Let us love with words and speech, but with actions and in truth." Some days I feel so weary that this verse is too much to carry. Thankfully, I do not have to.

if there is anything that i have learned over the past few years, is that people are ALWAYS watching! sometimes it is a blessing, sometime it is TOTALLY a curse. (having preschoolers for the past 16 years, i think it is actually more a curse)
I talk about the "next generation" a LOT. After all, they are the ones that will carry our torch. (and lately, i am feeling old, like I definitely need help carrying my torch)

My nephew Landon, is just like me. I have seen myself in him since he was just a little tot. He was a rebellious little stinker in high school, and I watched his life be completely transformed after ONE trip to Uganda his junior year. He is now a senior at UT, and is spending the summer in Uganda, serving at a school. He is blogging his trip if you would like to follow: lettersfromlando.blogspot.com. It makes my heart SO full to see him give his life away each and every day. He has a contagious fire lit in him, that burns fiercely for Christ.

Anna Bliss Eberle, is an angel from above. The past five years, she has loved my children SO well. She has taken trips with us. She has cared for my kiddos while I have traveled. She can "get it done" if anyone can! She has taken mission trips through high school to Belize, and traveled to Uganda with Gwen to bring home Joseph and Daisy. She is now in Uganda serving this summer. you can follow her journey:www.lovewithabandonment.wordpress.com

Psalm 78:5-8He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, Then commanded our parents to teach it to their children So thenextgenerationwould know, and all thegenerations to come— Know the truth and tell the stories so their children can trust in God, Never forget the works of God but keep his commands to the letter.

Psalm 78:1-4 Listen, dear friends, to God's truth, bend your ears to what I tell you. I'm chewing on the morsel of a proverb; I'll let you in on the sweet old truths, Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother's knee. We're not keeping this to ourselves, we're passing it along to the nextgeneration— God's fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done.

FRUITS...this is two out of the many young adults/teenagers, that I am watching serve our LORD without holding back....it does a mama's heart good:)

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About Me

suzanne

I am a lover of Jesus. I have the most fabulous husband that anyone woman could ask for. The Lord has blessed us with 7 beautiful children. I started this blog so that friends and family could follow our trip to Uganda to visit Katie Davis. I have decided to keep blogging to help bring orphan awareness to the world around me.